President Ulysses S. Grant Born 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio- Died 1885 Two terms: 1869-1873 (Vice President Schuyler Colfax) and 1873-1877 (Vice President Henry Wilson) Republican
Theme: Globalization
In the period after the Civil War, America looked inward and tried to sort through the problems that secession and emancipation had created. This begun the period of American isolationism that lasted all the way until the 1890’s. Consequently, international trade and diplomacy were put to the wayside. Nevertheless, the signing of the Treaty of Washington that settled the Alabama Claims controversy succeeded in promoting globalization and alliance with Britain. The United States sought damages from Britain for assisting the Confederacy. Through the treaty, a settlement was reached and all disputes with Britain were solved. The ratification of this document marked the beginning of amicable Anglo-British relations, allowing America to openly conduct trade across the Atlantic. Additionally, the Treaty of Washington also reduced globalization because the lack of problems with Europe permitted America to settle into its shell of isolationism, turning a blind eye to world politics without fear of any disputes arising. One of the few high points in President Grant’s administration was his refusal to give into popular demand to free Cuba from Spanish rule through annexation. Having just come out of a brutal war, Grant did not embroil the country in yet another conflict. His refusal to catapult America back on the world stage once more allowed the country to focus on Reconstruction and other internal projects, therefore delaying the trend towards globalization.
Thesis
Despite his great success as a Union General during the Civil War, Ulysses Grant exhibited no such leadership prowess as the President of the United States. Grant failed to be the strong-willed, politically shrewd leader that the country so desperately needed following the war. His lack of insight into his own administration proved to be the main cause behind the rampant graft and embezzlement taking place in Washington and the business world. His utter bewilderment during the Panic of 1873 demonstrated that he was not trained to be a politician nor an economist. President Grant was completely inept when it came to leading and correcting the country’s woes, but the passage of the 15th amendment and other plans to stabilize America put in place by earlier presidents saved the country from complete collapse, earning him the grade of a C+.
Goals
Grant took presidential office at a very difficult time; he inherited a multitude of problems that arose out of the Civil War. He aimed to rebuild the country from the war through military reconstruction, strengthen the union after secession, and ensure that suffrage would be provided so that American blood was not spilled for nothing. Through the passage of the 15th amendment early in his first term, Grant was able to give suffrage to blacks in the South, which was necessary to ensure the survival of the Republican Party in that region. In addition, he had the responsibility of paying off an immense debt incurred during the war. However, the Panic of 1873 destroyed all hopes of securing the country fiscally, and those obligations remained untouched.
Relationship with Congress
Grant enjoyed a Republican majority in both houses of Congress for three out of the four sessions he was in office. However, deep divisions within his own Republican party that arose early in his presidency produced a faction called the Liberal Republicans who were disgusted with the corruption surrounding Grant. His well-intentioned plan to stay above petty politics backfired when members of his cabinet were involved in stealing from the government. Nevertheless, He still managed to get the 15th Amendment passed at the outset of his time in office in an attempt to protect blacks from possible revenge violence from angered white Southerners. The rest of his relationship with Congress was occupied with trying to keep the Republican Party strong as more and more members defected to the Liberal Republican faction. In attempts to appease the breakaway faction, Congress moved to reduce high Civil War tariffs and halfheartedly clear Grant’s administration of grafters. During the Panic of 1873, Grant remained steadfast to his party’s hard-money stance and supported contraction efforts and vetoed any plan to introduce bimetallism. All in all, Grant’s political inexperience continued to alienate members of his own party throughout his two terms.
Positive Outcome
One of the few positive things to emerge from Grant’s presidency was the 15th Amendment. Grant was dedicated to reestablishing a strong bond between the North and the South. However, he wanted to assert that the North had indeed won the war by upholding emancipation and black suffrage. In his inaugural speech, Grant proclaimed that he sought to amend the Constitution in order to protect the rights of blacks that the war had achieved. He supported this amendment through both houses of Congress until it was passed in under a year.
Negative Outcome
Of all the consequences of Grant’s inability to be a skilled leader and politician, the Panic of 1873 was surely the worst. His obliviousness to industry tycoons’ rampant embezzlement and thievery eventually culminated in this serious economic downturn. His administration failed to effectively police the railroad companies’ business practices allowed overspeculation and unbridled capitalist expansion take hold. Finally, when debtors defaulted on enormous loans, the credit market collapsed.
Legacy
President Grant succeeded in dramatically changing future Americans’ view of the presidential office. The series of scandals during his first term soured the public’s opinion on the politicians that were running the country. Grant’s incapacity to control the goings-on in the White House caused his administration to be considered one of the most corrupt in the country’s history. This resulted in the gradual shift of dominance to the legislative branch. For the next several decades, Congress would be widely regarded as the most powerful segment of the federal government as the people believed that individual politicians were too dishonest to entrust major decisions to. Save for the passage of 15th amendment, President Grant’s serious lack of experience and the implications associated with these shortcomings tarnished the image of the presidency for future generations.
Conclusion
During his farewell address, Grant apologizes for accepting the presidential nomination “without any political training”. At the beginning of his terms, he proclaimed that he wanted to avoid party politics. Rather, his presidency was dominated by divisiveness within his own party. By the end of his eight years in office, slavery lived on in the form of segregation, bimetallism continued to perplex legislators, and the majority of the country was still mired in debt. These failures were brought about by Grant’s lack of preparedness for position in the Oval office, especially during the particularly difficult period of Reconstruction, earning him the grade of a C+.
Grant, Ulysses S. "Ulysses S. Grant: First Inaugural Address. U.S. Inaugural Addresses. 1989."Bartleby.com. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. <http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres33.html>.
Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas Andrew Bailey. The American pageant: a history of the Republic. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Print.
Born 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio- Died 1885
Two terms: 1869-1873 (Vice President Schuyler Colfax) and 1873-1877 (Vice President Henry Wilson)
Republican
Theme: Globalization
In the period after the Civil War, America looked inward and tried to sort through the problems that secession and emancipation had created. This begun the period of American isolationism that lasted all the way until the 1890’s. Consequently, international trade and diplomacy were put to the wayside. Nevertheless, the signing of the Treaty of Washington that settled the Alabama Claims controversy succeeded in promoting globalization and alliance with Britain. The United States sought damages from Britain for assisting the Confederacy. Through the treaty, a settlement was reached and all disputes with Britain were solved. The ratification of this document marked the beginning of amicable Anglo-British relations, allowing America to openly conduct trade across the Atlantic. Additionally, the Treaty of Washington also reduced globalization because the lack of problems with Europe permitted America to settle into its shell of isolationism, turning a blind eye to world politics without fear of any disputes arising. One of the few high points in President Grant’s administration was his refusal to give into popular demand to free Cuba from Spanish rule through annexation. Having just come out of a brutal war, Grant did not embroil the country in yet another conflict. His refusal to catapult America back on the world stage once more allowed the country to focus on Reconstruction and other internal projects, therefore delaying the trend towards globalization.
Thesis
Despite his great success as a Union General during the Civil War, Ulysses Grant exhibited no such leadership prowess as the President of the United States. Grant failed to be the strong-willed, politically shrewd leader that the country so desperately needed following the war. His lack of insight into his own administration proved to be the main cause behind the rampant graft and embezzlement taking place in Washington and the business world. His utter bewilderment during the Panic of 1873 demonstrated that he was not trained to be a politician nor an economist. President Grant was completely inept when it came to leading and correcting the country’s woes, but the passage of the 15th amendment and other plans to stabilize America put in place by earlier presidents saved the country from complete collapse, earning him the grade of a C+.
Goals
Grant took presidential office at a very difficult time; he inherited a multitude of problems that arose out of the Civil War. He aimed to rebuild the country from the war through military reconstruction, strengthen the union after secession, and ensure that suffrage would be provided so that American blood was not spilled for nothing. Through the passage of the 15th amendment early in his first term, Grant was able to give suffrage to blacks in the South, which was necessary to ensure the survival of the Republican Party in that region. In addition, he had the responsibility of paying off an immense debt incurred during the war. However, the Panic of 1873 destroyed all hopes of securing the country fiscally, and those obligations remained untouched.
Relationship with Congress
Grant enjoyed a Republican majority in both houses of Congress for three out of the four sessions he was in office. However, deep divisions within his own Republican party that arose early in his presidency produced a faction called the Liberal Republicans who were disgusted with the corruption surrounding Grant. His well-intentioned plan to stay above petty politics backfired when members of his cabinet were involved in stealing from the government. Nevertheless, He still managed to get the 15th Amendment passed at the outset of his time in office in an attempt to protect blacks from possible revenge violence from angered white Southerners. The rest of his relationship with Congress was occupied with trying to keep the Republican Party strong as more and more members defected to the Liberal Republican faction. In attempts to appease the breakaway faction, Congress moved to reduce high Civil War tariffs and halfheartedly clear Grant’s administration of grafters. During the Panic of 1873, Grant remained steadfast to his party’s hard-money stance and supported contraction efforts and vetoed any plan to introduce bimetallism. All in all, Grant’s political inexperience continued to alienate members of his own party throughout his two terms.
Positive Outcome
One of the few positive things to emerge from Grant’s presidency was the 15th Amendment. Grant was dedicated to reestablishing a strong bond between the North and the South. However, he wanted to assert that the North had indeed won the war by upholding emancipation and black suffrage. In his inaugural speech, Grant proclaimed that he sought to amend the Constitution in order to protect the rights of blacks that the war had achieved. He supported this amendment through both houses of Congress until it was passed in under a year.
Negative Outcome
Of all the consequences of Grant’s inability to be a skilled leader and politician, the Panic of 1873 was surely the worst. His obliviousness to industry tycoons’ rampant embezzlement and thievery eventually culminated in this serious economic downturn. His administration failed to effectively police the railroad companies’ business practices allowed overspeculation and unbridled capitalist expansion take hold. Finally, when debtors defaulted on enormous loans, the credit market collapsed.
Legacy
President Grant succeeded in dramatically changing future Americans’ view of the presidential office. The series of scandals during his first term soured the public’s opinion on the politicians that were running the country. Grant’s incapacity to control the goings-on in the White House caused his administration to be considered one of the most corrupt in the country’s history. This resulted in the gradual shift of dominance to the legislative branch. For the next several decades, Congress would be widely regarded as the most powerful segment of the federal government as the people believed that individual politicians were too dishonest to entrust major decisions to. Save for the passage of 15th amendment, President Grant’s serious lack of experience and the implications associated with these shortcomings tarnished the image of the presidency for future generations.
Conclusion
During his farewell address, Grant apologizes for accepting the presidential nomination “without any political training”. At the beginning of his terms, he proclaimed that he wanted to avoid party politics. Rather, his presidency was dominated by divisiveness within his own party. By the end of his eight years in office, slavery lived on in the form of segregation, bimetallism continued to perplex legislators, and the majority of the country was still mired in debt. These failures were brought about by Grant’s lack of preparedness for position in the Oval office, especially during the particularly difficult period of Reconstruction, earning him the grade of a C+.
References:
"American President: Biography of Ulysses Grant." Miller Center. Miller Center Virginia University , n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. <http://millercenter.org/president/grant/essays/biography/print>.
Grant, Ulysses S. "Ulysses S. Grant: First Inaugural Address. U.S. Inaugural Addresses. 1989." Bartleby.com. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. <http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres33.html>.
Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas Andrew Bailey. The American pageant: a history of the Republic. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Print.
"Ulysses S. Grant." The White House. U.S. Gov. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/ulyssessgrant>.